A Finding Aid to the

Abraham L. Feinberg
Papers

Manuscript
Collection No. 588

1901-1990. 19 Linear
ft.

ACCESS AND PROVENANCE

The Abraham L. Feinberg Papers were donated to the American Jewish Archives
by Mrs. Patricia C. Feinberg of Reno, Nevada. The materials were received
by the Archives in two shipments in March and July, 1990. Property rights
have been assigned to the American Jewish Archives. All literary rights
to materials authored by Rabbi Feinberg are held by his heirs. Literary
rights to materials authored by others are held by the individual author
or his/her heirs. Questions concerning rights should be addressed to the
Director of the American Jewish Archives.

The Abraham L. Feinberg Papers are open to all users and the original
manuscript materials are available in the reading room of the American
Jewish Archives.

Abraham L. Feinberg was born on September 14, 1899, the seventh of ten
children of Lithuanian immigrants, Nathan (a rabbi) and Sarah (Abramson)
Feinberg. Abraham was born and raised in Bellaire, Ohio,
a coal-mining town across the Ohio River from Wheeling, West Virginia.

After graduating from Bellaire High School in 1916, Abraham studied
at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1920 earned
a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1924 he was ordained rabbi at Hebrew Union
College in the same city.

Rabbi Feinberg served a congregation in Niagara Falls, New York, then
in late 1925, returned to Wheeling to accept the pulpit of Eoff Street
Temple (predecessor of Woodsdale Temple). He served in Wheeling until January
of 1927, when he moved to Temple Israel, the second largest reform congregation
in New York City.

After three years of sevice at Temple Israel, on February 28, 1930,
Feinberg quit the rabbinate. In his resignation sermon he explained that
he had become "disillusioned with the role [he] was expected to play--more
a promoter and social director of a complex organization than a pastor
of human souls." The resignation was publicized in newspapers around
the world and, despite Feinberg's emphasis that he was only quitting organized
religion not his personal faith, his announcement precipitated a nation-wide
debate.

After leaving the rabbinate, Feinberg studied opera in France and wrote
his autobiography (later withdrawn from publication "because of its
latent sensationalism"). In 1932 he began a new and highly successful
career on radio as the romantic tenor "Anthony Frome". For three
years "Anthony Frome, Poet Prince of the Airwaves" performed
five nights a week on radio and made personal appearances in New York theaters.
But in 1935 Anthony Frome bade his fan club farewell and Rabbi Feinberg
returned to the rabbinate. Feinberg gave three reasons for leaving his
lucrative radio career: his mother's death-bed wish, the imminent birth
of his son, and Hitler's rise to power.

Feinberg returned to his rabbinical career at Mt. Neboh Temple, a small
Manhattan congregation. After three years at Mt. Neboh, in 1938, Feinberg
moved to Denver, Colorado's Temple Emanuel. In 1942 he applied for a chaplaincy
in the United States Armed Forces, but was rejected for physical reasons.
Then in late 1943, he accepted the pulpit at Canada's leading congregation,
Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, Ontario. There he remained in the active
rabbinate for 18 years, and was named one of Canada's "Seven Greatest
Preachers," according to a national poll. In 1961 Feinberg retired
from the active rabbinate at Holy Blossom Temple. By 1964 he had written
his first book, Storm the Gates of Jericho.

Throughout most of his career Feinberg's sermons reflected his support
of progressive causes. In Toronto he led a succession of reform causes
in behalf of social justice, speaking out against racism, teaching of religion
in public schools, economic injustice, and nuclear arms.

Feinberg protested the Vietnam War as immoral, precipitating threats
against his life, heckling at speaking engagements and publications of
a libelous pamphlet, "The Red Rabbi." In January 1967 Feinberg
and three other well-known clergymen journeyed to Hanoi to try to promote
peace. After returning he toured the U.S. and Canada on a speaking campaign
against the war and wrote his second book, Hanoi Diary, an account
of his trip to Vietnam.

While visiting John Lennon and Yoko Ono at their bed-in for peace in
Montreal in 1967, Feinberg suggested a slight change in the lyrics of the
song "Give Peace a Chance" and sang the song with them. Lennon
urged the rabbi to make a record, resulting in Feinberg's phonograph album,
"I Was So Much Older Then," recorded in Toronto in 1969. Feinberg
and Lennon cooperated on several pro-peace projects in 1969.

After the death of his wife, Ruth, in 1971 Feinberg moved to California
for a new start. For four years he served as Rabbi-in-Residence at Glide
Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. In 1972 he performed
on his weekly radio program "Grey Lib" in Berkeley, emphasizing
rights for senior citizens.

In 1976 Feinberg moved to Reno, Nevada to be close to his son, Dr. Jonathan
Feinberg. He became active in senior citizen activities, served a local
synagogue, and began another radio show. The new show was called "Grey
Lib Plus" and ran from the Fall of 1976 to January, 1978. In 1981
his third book, Sex and the Pulpit, was published.

On November 4, 1930 Abraham Feinberg married Ruth E. Katsh in New York
City. She died of cancer on February 14, 1971 in Toronto. Abraham and Ruth
had two children, Jonathan Frome Feinberg and Sarah Jane Feinberg Growe.
In 1983, Abraham married Patricia C.Blanchard in Reno, Nevada.

Abraham L. Feinberg died of cancer on October 5, 1986 in Reno, Nevada.

SERIES A. SERMONS, SPEECHES AND WRITINGS consists of 5 hollinger boxes
(2.0 ft.) of sermons, speeches, notes, writings and some miscellaneous
materials. Series A is divided into 5 sub-series. Sub-series 1. Sermons
and Speeches consists of 1 1/4 hollinger box of sermons, most delivered
at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, and speeches concerning religious and
social reform topics delivered on various occasions, including club meetings
and protest demonstrations. Sermons and speeches dated prior to 1928 are
filed in a single folder and a large number of these, dated from 1936-1980,
are arranged in alphabetical order by title. Filed separately are "Revolutionary
Messages" (sermons) delivered by Feinberg as Rabbi-in-Residence at
Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco, California, from
1972-1976. Materials in sub-series 1 span the years 1914-1980, but the
bulk is dated 1936-1978.

Sub-series 2. Radio and Television Speeches consists of 1/2 hollinger
box of speeches and messages delivered by Feinberg "on-air" on
program series such as the "Message of Israel" (New York, 1937-1969),
"Brotherhood Hour" (Station CFRB, [Toronto?], 1947-1949), "Grey
Lib" (Station KPFA, Berkeley, California, 1972), and miscellaneous
other programs. Materials in sub-series 2 span the years 1935-1972, but
the bulk is dated 1935-1949.

Sub-series 3. Notes for Speeches and Articles consists of 3/4 hollinger
box of handwritten notes and outlines from which Feinberg wrote articles
or delivered sermons or speeches. Included are notes made during trips
to Europe and Israel in 1949 and 1959, the outline for the sermon announcing
his resignation from Temple Israel in 1930 and notes for lecture series
and sermons delivered in the 1970s in California and Nevada. The material
spans the 1930s-1980s with the bulk dated in the 1970s.

Sub-series 4. Thesis and Book Manuscripts consists of 1 1/2 boxes of
Feinberg's (handwritten) thesis submitted to Hebrew Union College in 1924
and hand or typewritten drafts for his unpublished autobiography, Release
(1929-1931), and published books, Storm the Gates of Jericho (1964),
and Sex and the Pulpit (1981). The materials in sub-series 4 span
the years 1924-1982.

Sub-series 5. Articles and Miscellaneous Writings consists of one hollinger
box of Feinberg's articles, handwritten or as printed in various newspapers
and magazines. Topics include religion, Canada, pacifism and radical social
reform. The materials in sub-series 5 span the years 1922-1985, with the
bulk dated in the 1940s-1970s.

SERIES B. CORRESPONDENCE AND MISCELLANEOUS RE: ACTIVITIES consists of
3 1/2 hollinger boxes (1.4 ft.) of correspondence, greeting cards, news
articles, notes, speeches, poetry, programs, publicity materials, memorabilia,
interview transcript, book contracts, reviews, reports and pamphlets. Series
B includes material pertaining to Feinberg's rabbinical career, his support
of peace and disarmament movements, his trip to Hanoi, his relationship
with John Lennon, his three published books and the phonograph album he
recorded. The material in Series B spans the years 1929-1987, with the
bulk dated 1960-1984.

SERIES C. RADIO CAREERS AND MUSIC consists of 4 1/2 hollinger boxes
(1.8 ft.) of newsletters, articles, membership lists, notes, lyrics, correspondence,
questionnaires, financial records, publicity materials, program formats,
and music. Series C is divided into two sub-series relating to Feinberg's
two major radio programs in the 1930s and 1970s.

Sub-series 1. Anthony Frome, The Poet Prince, consists of 2 boxes of
newsletters, articles, membership lists, program proposals, note cards,
sheet music and song books relating to Feinberg's radio career as "Anthony
Frome." The shipping carton in which these materials were received
by the American Jewish Archives was labeled with the following note: "Many,
diverse songs, most of them done by "Anthony Frome" on the "Poet
Prince" radio program, NBC-WJZ network, 5 nights a week, out of Radio
City Studio, New York, 1932-1935. (My name for radio was "Anthony
Frome." Abraham L. Feinberg)." The materials in Sub-series 1
span the years 1901-1937, but the bulk are dated 1925-1935. NOTE: One folder
of over-sized sheet music is located in oversize box No. X-369. Additional
sheet music used by "Anthony Frome" is located with the materials
in Sub-series 2, since it was later employed in the "Grey Lib Plus"
radio program in 1976-1978.

Sub-series 2. Grey Lib Plus consists of 2 1/2 boxes of correspondence,
publicity materials, program formats, questionnaires, financial records,
guest books, song lists, lyrics, poetry, song sheets and song books relating
to the "Grey Lib Plus" radio show (Seasons 1, 2, and 3), originating
in Reno, Nevada, Fall, 1976-January, 1978. Some music and lyrics may have
also been used by "Anthony Frome" on the "Poet Prince"
radio program in 1932-1935 (see Sub-series 1, above). The materials in
Sub-series 2 span the 1920s-1978, with the bulk dated 1976-1978.

SERIES D. PERSONAL PAPERS AND AWARDS consists of one hollinger and one
large oversize box (2.4 ft.) of biographical sketches, articles, cartoons,
programs, notes, obituaries, applications, passports, identity/membership
cards, presentation booklet, engraved wristwatch, diplomas, awards, rubber
stamp, neck pendants, lapel pins, shipping list (prepared by Mrs. Patricia
C. Feinberg to accompany this collection to the American Jewish Archives),
foreign coins and currency. The materials in Series D span the years 1916-1990,
with the bulk dated in the 1950s-1980s. NOTE: A box of memorabilia collected
by Feinberg on his trip to Hanoi in 1966-1967 is located in the AJA Rare
Documents File.

SERIES E. CARD FILE OF RESEARCH NOTES AND QUOTATIONS consists of 5 hollinger
"shoe" boxes (1.5 ft.) of 3x5 (and a few 4x6) index cards with
handwritten quotations or notes pertaining to various subjects, including
Judaism, Christianity, faith, Palestine, fear and Churchill. The 3x5 cards
are arranged roughly in alphabetical order according to topic or author.
The cards in Series E are undated.

SERIES F. SCRAPBOOKS consists of one hollinger and 7 oversize boxes
( 9.5 ft.) of scrapbooks and scrapbook pages containing articles, programs
and correspondence pertaining to Feinberg. The scrapbook pages were originally
2 scrapbooks spanning the years 1925-1939. The scrapbooks are numbered
(1 through 32) and are arranged in roughly chronological order. The materials
in Series F span the years 1925-1971. NOTE: Descriptions of scrapbook contents
can be found in the shipping list compiled by Mrs. Patricia C. Feinberg
when this collection was donated to the American Jewish Archives. The shipping
list is located in Series D.

SERIES G. PHOTOGRAPHS AND PICTURES consists of one hollinger box (0.4
ft.) of photographic prints, mostly labeled and mostly in black and white.
Also included in Series G is a pencil sketch of Feinberg dated 1986 located
in oversize box No. X-369). The photographs and picture span the years
1927-1986 and include the following subjects: Abraham L. Feinberg, "Anthony
Frome", rabbinical activities (in New York, San Francisco and Toronto),
protest demonstrations and pro-peace activities (including trips to Moscow,
Berlin and Hanoi). NOTE: See also under TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - HOLY
BLOSSOM TEMPLE for a print and photographs pertaining to the synagogue
building in Flat File Cabinet 5, Drawer 12 and AJA Photograph Collection
respectively.

SERIES H. SOUND RECORDINGS consists of phonograph records and tape recordings
and is divided into 2 sub-series. Sub-series 1. Phonograph Records consists
of 2 items, both dated 1969. Feinberg's album, "I Was So Much Older
Then," is located in oversize box No. X-369; and a 7" disc (with
autographed dust cover) containing "Give Peace a Chance" recorded
by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, with Feinberg's voice in the background, is
located in the AJA Rare Documents File.

Sub-series 2. Tape Recordings consists of over 100 reels and cassettes
of speeches, interviews, a memorial service for Feinberg, "Grey Lib"
radio programs (Berkeley,California, 1972) and "Grey Lib Plus"
radio programs Reno, Nevada, 1976-1978). Sub-series 2 spans the years 1972-1986.
NOTE: The materials in Sub-series 2 are be located in the AJA Tape recording
Collection.